Free Russian Translation Forum
July 29, 2010, 02:23:15 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
News: Free Russian Translation forum launched on September, 9, 2005. Welcome!

 
   Home   Help Search Login Register  
Pages: 1
  Print  
Author Topic: Need to be able to talk to Russians in library  (Read 523 times)
Steveasaurus
Newbie
*
Posts: 4


View Profile
« on: March 15, 2009, 04:53:37 PM »

Oh hello there, Internet, I didn't see you come in.  Kiss

I work in a library in the United States where we have a lot of Russian patrons who don't speak English. None of us speak Russian so we aren't able to communicate with them very well.  Embarrassed If someone would be so kind, could you translate a few day-to-day things we say to all our patrons into Russian?

We feel so bad not being able to communicate. I'm the only one who can read Cyrillic characters so it would have to be in Roman characters ("ponimayu" rather than "понимаю") for anyone to read it. It would mean so much!

"I'm sorry, but no one here speaks Russian."

"Would you like to open a new library card? We'll need one proof of address, like a driver's license or a bill addressed to your home."

"You have a new card, so you can only take out three items today. But next time you can take out a lot more."

"I'm sorry, but you can only take out (###) items like that."

"You have an overdue book and owe (###) on it. You can still take out books, but you'll need to pay the fine."

"This will be due back in three weeks."

"We only have Russian items on VHS and cassette. Do you have a VHS or cassette player?"

"You can use the computer for one hour a day."

"Enter your library card number here, and your name here."

"Are you familiar with our English classes? Would you be interested?"

"Do you go to English classes at Lutheran Services?"

"Would you like to meet someone about English classes?"

"Please give me your name and phone number, or a time when you can come to the library at night when someone who speaks Russian can meet with you."

Again, thank you! This would mean an awful lot to all of us. We have so many Russian-speaking patrons who we can't communicate with.
Logged
Kot_Vasya
Newbie
*
Posts: 10


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2009, 12:38:51 PM »

My translation is not very literary, but focued on understanding of you "patrons".

Comment 1: For "library card" there are several words in russian:
"formulyar" (формуляр) - used by professional librarians,
"kartochka" (карточка) - used in common life for all sorts of cards.
I used "formulyar", but you may use any of them.


---------------------------
"I'm sorry, but no one here speaks Russian." - "Sozhaleyu, no zdes nikto ne govorit po russki" - "Сожалею, но здесь никто не говорит по русски".

"Would you like to open a new library card?" - "Ne zhelaete zavesti novyi formulyar?" - "Не желаете завести новый формуляр?"

"We'll need one proof of address, like a driver's license or a bill addressed to your home." - "Nam ponadobitsya podtverzhdenie vashego adresa, naprimer voditelskie prava ili kvitantsiya (or schot) na oplatu" - "Нам понадобится подтверждение вашего адреса, например, водительские права или квитанция (или счёт) на оплату"

"You have a new card, so you can only take out three items today. But next time you can take out a lot more." - "U vas novyi formulyar, poetomu vyi vjzhete vzyat segodnya tolko tri knigi (books) / predmeta (other things)" - "У вас новый формуляр, поэтому вы можете взять сегодня только три книги / предмета".

"I'm sorry, but you can only take out (###) items like that." - "Sozhaleyu, no vyi mozhete vzyat tolko ### takikh knigi (books) / predmeta (other things)" - "Сожалею, но вы можете взять только ### таких книги / предмета".

"You have an overdue book and owe (###) on it. You can still take out books, but you'll need to pay the fine." - "U vas prosrochennyie knigi i dolg ### za nikh. Vyi eshe mozhete brat knigi, no vyi dolzhnyi zaplatit shtraf" - "У вас просроченные книги и долг ### за них. Вы ещё можете брать книги, но вы должны заплатить штраф".

"This will be due back in three weeks." - I didn't get it. Is it an order (instruction, direction) or an informing?

"We only have Russian items on VHS and cassette. Do you have a VHS or cassette player?" - "Russkie u nas tolko na VHS ili na kassetakh" - "Русские у нас только на VHS или на кассетах".  ("Do you have a VHS or cassette player?" - doesn't need in this situation. They can sum "2+2".)

"You can use the computer for one hour a day." - "Vyi mozhete ispolzovat komp'uter odin chas v den" - "Вы можете использовать компьютер один час в день".

"Enter your library card number here, and your name here." - "Vvedite nomer formulyara zdes, i svoyo imya zdes" - "Введите номер формуляра здесь и своё имя здесь".

"Are you familiar with our English classes? Would you be interested?" -  Hmm...  "English classes" - is it a course of training in The English language?

"Do you go to English classes at Lutheran Services?" - most russians are stalwart supporters of Orthodoxy  Smiley)

"Would you like to meet someone about English classes?" - I didn't get the situation.

"Please give me your name and phone number, or a time when you can come to the library at night when someone who speaks Russian can meet with you." - "Pozhaluysta, dayte mne vashi imya i telefon ili soobshite vremya, kogda vyi smozhete priyti vecherom, chtobyi kto-to russkogovoryashiy smog vstretit vas" - Пожалуйста, дайте мне ваши имя и телефон, или сообщите время, когда вы сможете прийти вечером, чтобы кто-то русскоговорящий смог встретить вас".  Hm.. I think it's vere unusual situation.
Logged
Steveasaurus
Newbie
*
Posts: 4


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2009, 05:16:31 AM »

Oh wow - Thank you so much! That is going to be extremely helpful for everyone. You've made us all very happy. Grin

When I said, "Would you like to meet someone for English classes," I was referring to meeting our teacher who teaches English speech and reading skills.

Спасибо!
Logged
Kot_Vasya
Newbie
*
Posts: 10


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2009, 10:26:49 AM »

"Would you like to meet someone about English classes?":
-------------------------------------
than you'd better say smth. like this:  "We can/may let you know about English classes" - "Myi mozhem predostavit vam informatsiyu o kursakh angliyskogo yazika" - "Мы можем предоставить вам информацию о курсах английского языка".
Logged
Pages: 1
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.7 | SMF © 2006-2008, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!